The Battery

JetBlue to land in Charleston

Another discount carrier to serve CHS

On Feb. 28, 2013, the low-cost airline JetBlue will begin daily nonstop air service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Boston’s Logan International Airport to Charleston International Airport.

Earlier this year, the North Charleston airport had to discontinue one of its daily 100-seat flights between Charleston and LaGuardia. This was a problem because in 2011, LaGuardia was the No. 1 origin of flights coming into Charleston. “At stake was a potentially serious impact on visitor share,” Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Chairman Frank Fredericks said in a press release earlier this week. “Being an easily accessible destination is central to offering a quality, positive visitor experience, so it was imperative we attract new air service. Fortunately, our goals aligned with those of JetBlue.”

There are currently no direct flights from Boston to Charleston, but Logan International Airport ranked eighth for flight originations to Charleston in 2011. Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. remarked in a press release on the new link between Beantown and the Holy City: “There are great similarities between Boston and Charleston. Thanks to JetBlue’s new service, our residents will have the wonderful opportunity to discover another colonial port city with rich history and vibrant culture. Likewise, we look forward to welcoming our new friends from New England with the new nonstop flight.”

New York-based JetBlue Airways, which launched its first flight in 2000, currently flies to 71 airports from Bogotá, Colombia, to Anchorage, Alaska, including numerous destinations in the Caribbean. According to its website, JetBlue allows travelers to check one piece of luggage for free and offers DirecTV and Sirius XM satellite radio in its seats.